Cary
Cary was the 3676th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 30 babies. Its best year was 1966, when it ranked 264th; the most babies were born in 1957 (788). Over the last ten years it has moved down 233 places. More babies were named Cary in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Kerry) County Kerry; Irish and English surnames · Irish, English
- Rank in 2025
- #3,676 boys, up 264 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 30boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1957788 babies
- Total since 1880
- 29,827babies recorded
What does the name Cary mean?
Cary is a spelling of Kerry, pronounced the same way, so it shares Kerry's meaning and origin.
Kerry is the name of a county in southwest Ireland, Irish Ciarraí 'people of Ciar', and is also a surname. Wiktionary gives the surname two sources: an English one from a personal name based on Old Norse Kári, and an Irish one from Ó Ciardha 'descendant of Ciardha', from ciar 'dark, black'. As a first name it was used for both boys and girls in the mid-20th century.
ciar (Irish, “dark, black”)Kári (Old Norse, “personal name”)
How sure is this? Probable. Several sources share the form.
Related names: Keri, Carey, Ciara.
See also: Irish names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Kerry', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (our computation), SSA (public domain)
Cary popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | #3,676 | — | 30 |
| 2020 | — | #3,940 | — | 26 |
| 2010 | #13,750 | #4,125 | 7 | 24 |
| 2000 | #5,747 | #1,945 | 19 | 53 |
| 1990 | #2,530 | #813 | 47 | 157 |
| 1980 | #1,436 | #626 | 85 | 195 |
| 1970 | #864 | #331 | 155 | 570 |
| 1960 | #987 | #286 | 118 | 760 |
| 1950 | #1,453 | #323 | 40 | 443 |
| 1940 | #1,750 | #501 | 21 | 134 |
| 1930 | #2,711 | #917 | 11 | 53 |
| 1920 | #2,752 | #878 | 12 | 61 |
| 1910 | #1,795 | #602 | 8 | 23 |
| 1900 | #1,976 | #752 | 5 | 12 |
| 1890 | #1,115 | #675 | 7 | 9 |
| 1880 | — | #429 | — | 17 |
How popular is Cary, counting every spelling?
Cary is a spelling of Kerry, a name family that had 98 boys in 2025 across its spellings. Together these spellings went to 98 boys in 2025.
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Cary?
30 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Cary (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Cary born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 280 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Cary.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Cary?
About 17,400 people born in the US named Cary are alive today, with a median age of 60; half are between 50 and 68. That makes Cary a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Cary by state
How common Cary was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. In 49 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Cary: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Cary, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Cary
What does Cary mean?
Cary is a spelling of Kerry, which means “County Kerry; Irish and English surnames” (Irish, English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Cary?
Cary was the 3676th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 30 babies. Its best year was 1966, when it ranked 264th; the most babies were born in 1957 (788). Over the last ten years it has moved down 233 places. More babies were named Cary in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Cary a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Cary in the US.
Where is Cary most popular?
In 2021–2025, Cary was most common in New York (0.03 per 1,000 boys), followed by California and California.